Liquid-fuel furnace



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B. s. SPBRRY. LIQUID FUEL FURNAGB.

NVENTUH WML W7 5y l v ATTORNEY.

UNrTen STATES ERVIN S. SPERRY, OF BRIDGEPCRT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE WALDO FOUNDRY, OF NEW JERSEY.

LIQUID-FUEL FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,261, dated February 20, 1894.

Application tiled September 6, 1893. Serial No. 484,916. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ERWIN S. SPERRY,'a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, State of Connectlcut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Fuel Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of furnaces in which crude petroleum and other hydro-carbone are employed for fuel. In the preferred form of my invention, the furnace 1s constructed with an opening in the front part of the furnace wall, and the burner or burners are substantially inclosed within this opening. Any suitable burner may be employed with my improved furnace, but I preferably employ the burner invented by me which is fully described in another application filed by me on the 6th day of September, 1893, Serial No. 484,915, to which I refer. For convenience I shall describe the furnace in connection with the said burner, it being understood, however, that any other suitable burner is applicable for use in my invention.

My invention has for its object improvements in the form of the crucible chambers and of the passages connecting the same.

It consists generally in the use of a liquid fuel furnace, having crucibles and connectlng passages of the form and construction hereinafter described, in combination with the other parts of the furnace as herein fully set forth.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which are hereby made a part of this specification, and in which similar letters refer to similar parts.

Figure l of the drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of a liquid fuel furnace embodying my invention, and adapted for melting metals in crucibles. The section is taken through the line 1, l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is across-section of Fig. lthrough the line 2, 2. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the furnace, showing the burner and doors. Fig. l is a detailed sectional view of a portion of the principal burner, and of the tray for catching the over- `line 4, 4 of Fig. 5.

liowing fuel. The section is taken through the Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. et on the line 5, 5.

In Figs. l and 2, WV represents the general wall of the furnace, having openings in its top 0 o closed by lids or covers m fm, through which the crucibles c c are inserted into the Crucible chambers C. C. Cruoibles of any suitable material and shape may be employed, but I preferably employ crucibles of the tapering shape represented in Fig. 1, where the top is somewhat larger than the bottom. The crucibles may also be of any suitable size. The crucible chambers are formed by'building into the body of the furnace projecting jambs ff. The crucible chambers are then formed in part by the walls and bottom of the furnace, and in part by the jambs ff. The crucible chambers C C have the Whole height of the interior of the furnace, and the full width thereof for a sufficient length to allow crucibles c c to be inserted, but the Crucible chambers C C then diminish in width in the portions between the jambs. The jambs ff form the contracted passages p p for the fiames which passages connect the crucible chambers C C with each other and the Crucible chamber most remote from the burner with the flue. The object and result of narrowing these passages p 19 is to cause the flames and heat from the burner to pass completely around the crucibles c c and make the melting action uniform. The passages p jp are of substantially the same height 'as the Crucible chambers C C, thus permitting the dames and heatto reach the crucibles throughout their full height. The result of this construction is that all parts of the surface of the Crucible are heated at the same time, thus making the melting action uniform and preventing the cracking of the crucibles.

r is an arch or jamb of fire brick or other refractory material of any suitable depth, projecting downward from the roof of the furnace, and used to draw the flames downward before passing around the first crucibles, thus insuring their passing around the lower part of all the crucibles.

Natural draft is used through the chimney roo K regulated Aby the damper g. In order to prevent the flames from coming through the openings o o in the top of the furnace when the covers m m are removed. The damper h 1s provided, the opening of which creates a draft through the llue fn, to the chimney k, the damper g being then closed.

B represents my preferred burner, consisting of an open, substantially trough-shaped tray b2 having on its front and rear edges, ledges b3 b3 raised above the level of the lateral or end edges b5 b5 of the tray b2 and extending beyond the said lateral edges preferably in each direction.

U Attached to the extremities of the projectlng ledges and substantially parallel with the ends e e of the tray b2 are downwardly extending lips b b forming, with the ends e e of the tray b2 and with the projecting extremities of the ledges b3 b3, open ducts or conduits b4 b4. These ducts or conduits are substantially open passages between the ends of the tray e e and the lips b b', being open throughout their whole extent except at the,J upper corners where the lips b b are united with the main body of the burner by the projecting extremities of the ledges b3 b3.

A is a secondary burner or auxiliary burner directly below the burner B and preferably consists of a plain open trough-shaped receptacle or tray of substantially the same width as the burner B and long enough to extend in either direction below the ducts or conduits b4 b4.

jo is a supply pipe having cock s.

The operation of the burner is as follows: The fuel being allowed to flow from the supply pipe p fills the trough-shaped tray b2 to the level of its lateral or end edges b5 b5. As soon as more oil is added, it begins to ow over the lateral or end edges b5 b5, being prevented from liowing over the front and rear edges of the tray b2 by the raised ledges b3 b3. The overflowing oil passes down the duets or conduits b4 b4 and is received in the auxiliary burner A.

The door of the furnace is constructed in detachable plates or portions E E', which may be raised or lowered so as to leave the burners B A wholly or partly uncovered in front, thus regulating the draft. The plates E E may be set in any desired position by means of the set screws m m working in the slots m m.

F. is a door in the plate E hinged att t and held down when so desired by the lug w. The door F may be raised to clean out the burner or for other purposes. The ducts being placed in position, and the fuel in the principal burner lighted, when the fuel in the burners becomes well heated, the flames will be carried through the whole interior length of the furnace passing down under the arch lrand through the crucible chambers in succession and finally out into the flue k. As in all furnaces, the intensity of the heat to which the crucibles are subjected diminishes in proportion as the crucibles are more remote from the burner, but this is less noticeable in the furnace herein described than in furnaces of the ordinary construction.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

In a liquid fuel furnace, the combination with a suitable: burner, covered openings in the top ofthe furnace lines, suitable adjustable doors, admitting to the opening in the furnace wall containing the burner a supply pipe for the fuel and dampers for closing and opening the flues, of the crucible chambers C C, the jambs ff projecting inwardly from the furnace walls and the passages pp formed by the said jambs and uniting the crucible chambers with each other and the crucible chamber most remote from the burner with the principal flue, said passages pp being narrower horizontally than, but of substantially the same height as the crucible chambers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ERWIN S. SPERRY.

Witnesses:

C. H. SHANNON, NEWTON E. SroUr. 

